Page 112 of Hot Mess
“Ilovethat,” my sister announced, like her opinion truly mattered. In her mind, it totally did. “It’s a great angle.”
“Maybe. It’s not a guaranteed win, though. Not every group of rock stars who get together to form a band make a real success of it.”
“Then make sure you get the right rock stars,” Dani said simply. “Fame begets fame. It’s the best multiplier. Take the right two celebrities and put them together, you make them both ten times more famous. It’s simple math.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’m always right.”
Ashley threw me another look. Definitely amused.
I grinned a little and sipped my mimosa. The truth was, my sister amused me, too. She made me smile, she made me laugh, she made me roll my eyes. Her confidence, her quickness with words and, honestly, her sly prettiness had always charmed me. I could listen to her bullshit for hours.
And I could see why men fell for her.
Daniella Vola never stopped for you to catch up with her. She just expectedyouto keep up if you were worth her time. And if you didn’t? You’d be left by the wayside, no great loss to her.
I was pretty sure she truly believed every word that came out of her mouth with great conviction, but I admired that about her.
Was I uneasy about her and Ashley hitting it off? For sure.
I wasn’t exactly sure if theywerehitting it off, though.
He was being polite, like really polite, listening to her opinions. And she was being pretty talkative and direct, but not brutal. She could’ve really torn into him if she wanted to. She’d done that to men before. Men she didn’t think were good enough for me.
Men she thought she could scare away.
Which meant she either approved of this one, in her way, or she didn’t actually think shecouldscare him away and was just biding her time. Feeling him out, sniffing for any weaknesses.
Absolute worst case scenario, she liked him and was simply enjoying his attention.
Regardless… I could feel myself mentally easing back out of the way, taking a backseat to her as she talked to him.
Just in case.
In case… What?
In case she changed her mind?
In case she decided she did want him, and she was gonna claim first dibs because of the Alaska thing?
And what if she did?
What was I gonna do about it?
Nothing, I supposed.
But the more I considered that possibility and the longer I watched her talking to Ashley—practically forgetting I was at the table, as she so often did when a hot man was around… the more uncomfortable it made me feel.
And the more I pulled back.
Like I was preparing to pull myself right out of the running.
* * *
After brunch, Ashley walked us the two blocks back to my place. Daniella dominated most of that conversation, too. When we reached the door to my building, Ashley took hold of my elbow, trying to draw me aside. I stopped and just stood there next to my sister.
He looked from me to her and back.
